[Tfug] Why EVERYTHING is a learning experience :)

[Ljubica Punosevac]

Atheros has the great support in FreeBSD.


>From: "Jude Nelson" <judecn at gmail.com>
>Reply-To: Tucson Free Unix Group <tfug at tfug.org>
>To: "Tucson Free Unix Group" <tfug at tfug.org>
>Subject: Re: [Tfug] Why EVERYTHING is a learning experience :)
>Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2007 13:05:11 -0700
>
>I'm terribly sorry that happened :(
>
>You are right--Atheros has mediocre support at best.  Whatever card you
>choose to replace it, you can see whether or not it is compatible and
>possibly how to install it by searching for it here:
>http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php/cat/10 (linuxquestions.org's
>Hardware Compatibility List).  You can also see whether or not it DOESN'T
>work by looking here: http://www.leenooks.com/page/show/Wifi (
>www.leenooks.com is the Linux Hardware Incompatibility list).  From the
>looks of things, I'd avoid Netgear and Broadcom wifi cards.
>
>Also, regarding getting Sayabon Linux to boot from your disk...you'll need
>to see whether or not there is a file called "menu.lst" under
>/media/disk/boot/grub on your USB disk.  If not, create it and add this
>entry:
>
>title Sayabon Linux
>root (hd1,0)
>kernel /boot/<livecd-kernel> rootfstype=<your-disk-fs>
>savedefault
>
>...where <livecd-kernel> is the vmlinuz file in /media/disk/boot and
><your-disk-fs> is the filesystem that you formatted the USB disk with
>(should be ext2, ext3, reiserfs, etc).  Once that's in place, run this
>command:
>
>sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/disk /dev/sdb
>
>That will install GRUB (the GRand Unified Bootloader, which most modern
>distros including Ubuntu use) on the boot sector of your USB disk.  After
>that, reboot, configure the BIOS to boot from the USB disk, and hope for 
>the
>best!
>
>Regards,
>Jude Nelson
>On 8/3/07, Jim March <1.jim.march at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Today's coke spill on my Acer laptop at Buddy's turns out to be an
> > interesting and low-cost learning experience.
> >
> > I flipped it over right away, managed a shutdown in Ubuntu, pulled
> > power and battery and then wiped it down.  Left it to dry upside down.
> >
> > After a few hours at home, I carefully stripped everything and found
> > that almost all the drink stayed in the keyboard.  I got it clear of
> > everyplace else, washed the keyboard, let dry some more, re-assembled.
> >
> > I'm typing this on it :).
> >
> > Only one problem: the inboard WiFi adapter is fried.  I'm up using
> > Ethernet straight from my router.
> >
> > Sigh.  OK, could be worse, right?
> >
> > The card was an Atheros which works pretty good but isn't perfect in
> > Linux ("binary blob" driver of iffy reliability).  Turns out the card
> > is a mini-PCI.
> >
> > Did some digging.  I will NOT be putting another mini-PCI card in, no
> > way in hell.  Why?  Because it turns out there are a buttload of other
> > things you can do with it - why waste it on WiFi?
> >
> > :)
> >
> > Check THIS out:
> >
> > http://www.globalamericaninc.com/other/mini_PCI_&_AGP.php
> >
> > Holy crap!  Let's see, we have a mini-PCI SATA *raid* controller(!),
> > we've got dual gigabit ethernet controller, we've got improved
> > audio(!) - what's in my Asus flat sucks wind.  We've got an entire
> > low-end video card with 8megs RAM and a CRT cable included (gotta look
> > up the chipset of course).  And for the crem-de-la-oh-my-GOD we've got
> > an adapter and 11-inch cable to a pair of full-tilt PCI cards, one
> > 3.3v and one 5v.  Can you picture an NVidia card in one?  I sure as
> > hell can.  Maybe one in each...
> >
> > Oh yeah.  We bad.  Throw a custom plug into the access door to the
> > mini-PCI area...
> >
> > ---
> >
> > This leads to a question: what do I do for WiFi?  PCMCIA comes to
> > mind, or maybe USB.  There's a shitload of choices either way, for
> > under $40.  Not that I need it right away of course...
> >
> > So.  If it hadn't been for the coke spill...I'd never have known I've
> > got a muthafrackin' honest to dog EXPANSION SLOT!!!  TEH BADNESS!
> >
> > True, the laptop might not have enough power to drive one external PCI
> > and definitely not two, but...the PCI pinouts are well known, splice
> > in a small ATX desktop power supply to the dual-card board and snip
> > the power lines to the mini-PCI card, good to go, it'll all fit in the
> > custom case it would clearly need to one side of te "laptop"...
> >
> > :)
> >
> > Jim
> >
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